Entrepreneurship

Alba Joins Techie Reality Show for Non-Techies

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on in Culture, Entertainment 0 Comment

alba gwyn will

Jessica Alba, Gwyneth Paltrow, and will.i.am are all attached to Apple’s Planet of the Apps. The trio will serve as mentors and advisors on the upcoming reality show.  But, the tech community is not happy about any of this.  Here’s what you need to know:

What is the Planet of the Apps?

Business Insider describes the show as a cross between singing competition show The Voice and startup pitch show Shark Tank. The gist of the show? App developers bring their ideas to fruition, judges pick what they like, then mentors help guide contestants through the process.  Seems more of a cross between Shark Tank and Project Runway to us, but as they say, ‘to-may-to, to-mah-to.’ #MakeItWork

More on ALBA, PALTROW, AND WILL.I.AM’S ROLES?

The show’s official website called on app creators with the following:

“Join us on the search for the next great app in a new original series. Those selected will have the chance to receive hands-on guidance from some of the most influential experts in the tech community, featured placement on the App Store, and funding from top-tier VCs.”

Tech Community Isn’t Here for It …

Apparently, the tech community isn’t here for Jessica Alba or the rest of the trio. Their beef probably has to do with the ‘most influential experts in the tech community’ part. TechCrunch’s Romain Dillet is almost everyone in the tech community when he writes: “I don’t think any of these hosts are qualified to talk about design, engineering or even growth strategy when it comes to releasing a new app on the App Store” (To be fair, Dillet does recognize Alba’s the Honest Company. But, we should also mention that Paltrow runs a digital lifestyle publication called Goop, and will.i.am is the Director of Creative Innovation for Intel – who knew?).

Not Everyone’s on the Same Page…

Others don’t share Dillet’s perspective.  Jeremy Liew, a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, a Menlo Park-based venture capital firm with portfolio companies like Snapchat, sees things a little differently. He told Variety that “[c]onsumer technology has become popular culture, as our portfolio companies like Snapchat have demonstrated … We’re excited to work with Apple and visionaries from the tech and entertainment space to discover and enable the next generation of apps that will also become popular culture.” 

What’s Next?

Planet of the Apps is done with its casting call and will begin filming in Los Angeles later this year and into early 2017. The show will be available exclusively on Apple Music or the Apple TV. Other than this reality show, Apple’s also working on CarPool Karaoke made famous by James Corden on “The Late Late Show.”

Penny for Your Thoughts?

We gotta ask: When Planet of the Apps comes out next year, are you in or nah? Tell us in the comments!

Virtual Skinny: Doing the Absolute Most…

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on in Internet & Tech, Newsletter 0 Comment

8.1.2016

Good to Know: Snapchat’s geofilters aka personalized filters could be the new hashtag. All the kids are doing it … 

snap

THE SKINNY

When You Need to Do the Absolute Most…

Alphabet’s Google, Facebook, and Twitter teamed up for a three-week, experimental collabo by using online videos to counter terrorist and extremist propaganda on their platforms. The social platforms are targeting teens and young adults that use words like “sharia” and “mujahideen” in their posts.

When You Need More Information…

Islamist radicals and far-right groups’ extremist propaganda and violent content on the InterWebs play a major role in terrorism. So, Internet companies are fighting back. They want to figure out what messages work to keep the youth from becoming full-blown radicals.

When You’re Not Trying to Hear It …

Young people are saying ‘no’ to government-sponsored messages. And ‘definitely maybe’ to videos shading jihadist groups, the Taliban, and white supremacist groups. The videos are courtesy of organizations like U.S. based Average Mohamed, Pakistan’s Harakat-ut-Taleem, and ExitUSA.

When You’re Not Sure It’s Working …

Are the videos working? Hard to tell. But, starting a discussion is always a positive first step. And for the most part, the videos are getting people chatting online about the videos.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

If They Ever Did That, I Think We’d Have a Cyber-Attack …

Remember that time someone hacked the U.S. Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) emails … Russia’s name came up as the potential culprit … Then, Donald Trump looked straight into a press camera and challenged Russians to find Hillary’s missing emails but later said ‘just kidding?‘ Of course you do, that was just last week. Well, security expert Bruce Schneier thinks things could get worse. Schneier says Russia could go after the nation’s voting machines come this November. He says the U.S. needs to get its cyber-defense game in order. And apparently, Internet voting is not the answer.

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

Looks like maps and driverless cars are on Uber’s 2016 vision board. The ride-hailing services just dropped a cool US $500 millie on a global mapping project so it can say “bye” to Google Maps. Oh and, Uber’s packing it in … at least in China. The company’s done competing with its Chinese rival Didi Chuxing and decided that both companies need to become one in a deal worth $35 billion. 

Speaking of the Googler, navigational app Waze just released a new bomb feature called Child Reminder to make sure people don’t forget their kids in the car. 

Interior design app Homee didn’t make the cut on Shark Tank, but Tinder co-founder Sean Rad happened to catch its episode. Rad decided to pony up hard cash for Homee. He’s its first investor. As they say, any publicity is good publicity … 

Fresh off of exposing Taylor Swift’s B.S., Kanye West has made it clear that he’s done with Apple’s B.S. too. Word on the street is Apple wants to buy music service Tidal owned by West’s bestie Jay-Z. West tweeted “Apple give Jay his check for Tidal now and stop trying to act like you Steve.” And by Apple, we think he means Tim Cook. #ShotsFired  

The Rio Olympics start this Friday. But if you’ve been paying attention, you know that many people (including athletes) will be skipping it on account of Brazil’s issues with Zika, its water supply, and general turmoil. Even if you won’t be in Brazil, Google’s is bringing the favela (aka slum) experience to you via Street View. 

One more thing about the Olympics … Those that are going have much to complain about including an ‘uninhabitable’ Olympic Village and maybe even worse no access to Pokemon Go. #Messy  

MAKING MOVES …

In the wake of the Verizon-Yahoo deal announcement, Verizon’s Marni Walden and AOL head Tim Armstrong got together at Yahoo’s Sunnyvale, CA HQ. The message to Yahoo employees was positive, but everyone’s well aware there’ll be issues joining both companies. A new company structure and potential unforeseen costs to name a couple. 

Founder of CODE2040  Laura Weidman Powers is headed to Washington. For six months, she’ll be taking on the role as senior policy adviser to U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith.  Diversity and inclusion in tech and entrepreneurship generally are at the top of her “to-do” list.  

Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg is writing a second book tentatively called “Option B.” It’ll be about resilience. Sandberg has had to show quite a bit of it after the tragic and untimely passing of her husband last year. 

Virtual Skinny: Friday Fave

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on in Internet & Tech, Newsletter 0 Comment

5.13.2016

Good to Know: Want to delete your fave dating app? Just deleting the app from your phone won’t do the trick. Take these steps to delete your profile and avoid any awkward encounters or questions.

delete

THE SKINNY

When It’s The Same Story, Different Source … 

Facebook is having one of the worst weeks ever. More info has leaked about its editorial team and “Trending Topics” section. This time it’s courtesy of The Guardian.

When It’s More Of The Same … 

The Guardian obtained a leaked internal document intended to give FB’s editorial staff guidelines on how to determine what news is trending and what’s not. The docs confirms things that we’ve already heard. FB’s new team relied on 10 major new sources, staff can “inject” a story into Trending Topics even if it actually isn’t trending on the network, and new stories about FB are kind of off limits. A couple of things here: (1) FB’s VP Tom Stocky said earlier this week that the company does not “insert stories artificially” and (2) FB leads users to believe the stories are picked by algorithms, but there’s actually quite a bit of human involvement.  Hmmm … Whoops!

When It’s Time to Deny, Deny, Deny … 

FB responded and said that the Guardian’s doc is out of date and isn’t the current practices of the company.  FB’s VP of Global Operations Justin Osofsky responded with an official blog post of how “Trending Topics” actually works. He says the team relies on 1,000 new sources (not just 10). Osofsky says the team also uses an RSS web crawler to I.D. hot topics. And, he says that FB’s not about suppressing political views even if they are conservative.

When You Don’t Want No F&^#@! Problems …

Mark Zuckerberg is in full on damage control. He put out a lengthy FB status about the situation. He says the company is investigating the matter but has not found any wrongdoing yet. Also, he wants to pow-wow with conservatives and others to put this whole thing to bed. 

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON? 

When Amazon Isn’t Your Fave … 

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is not a fan of Amazon.  He thinks the company has a “huge antitrust problem.” It all comes down to the fact that Amazon’s Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos also owns the Washington Post (WaPo). Trump is under the impression that Bezos is using WaPo to influence politicians and ultimately avoid paying taxes. #Interesting

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’ 

Pitching your startup to venture capitalists – the latest thing you can do on Snapchat.

Basketball legend Magic Johnson is leaving payment company Square’s board.  Who knew? Johnson’s kicking off his fund for urban development.

Virtual Skinny: When Life Hands You Lemons …

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on in Internet & Tech, Newsletter

4.25.2016

Good to Know:  Make Lemonade aka the title of Beyonce’s latest album released exclusively on Tidal over the weekend and nearly broke the Internet. It’s coming to iTunes soon. Side note: Know the difference between Rachael Ray and Rachel Roy before making the decision on whether to fire off emojis of lemons and bumble bees. 

THE SKINNY

When You’ve Got A Brilliant Idea …

Frustrated with public transportation? Not to worry, Tesla founder and all-around genius Elon Musk says he’s got a solution.

bus

Please, Tell Us More …

At a conference in Norway, Musk hinted at autonomous vehicles aka self-driving cars as the answer to curbing cities’ density problem.  Think a hybrid between Uber and public buses.

When Mums The Word…

Musk didn’t want to spill too much tea but did say that these new vehicles would take people to their intended destination rather than bus stops.  Cities around the globe like Lausanne, Switzerland, and Zhengzhou, China are already testing out something similar.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

When You Throw Out the White Flag …

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is stepping away from its fight with Apple.  Late last Friday, the DOJ backed out of its NY suit against the iPhone maker. Apparently, it no longer needs the court’s help in forcing Apple to break into the iPhone involved in a drug-related investigation. It simply got the passcode from someone else. This comes after the U.S. government paid over US $1 million to unlock another iPhone in the San Bernardino situation. And, that’s what we call being resourceful, folks. #MondayMotivation

When You Want to Make Peace, Not War …

Beyoncé’s hubby, Jay Z, isn’t the only one looking to make peace. Rivals Microsoft and Google are calling a truce. Both companies agreed to stop throwing regulatory shade at each other. Moving forward, they’d like to compete on their products and not by legal complaints. Microsoft has even withdrawn existing regulatory complaints. #FairEnough

When You Don’t Quite Have the Numbers …

Director of U.S. National Intelligence James Clapper piped up to some reporters and put us on notice. His team is looking into just how many innocent people are getting swept up in the government’s Internet surveillance aimed at foreign suspects. Clapper’s comments aren’t unprovoked. A group of 14 lawmakers in the U.S. House of Reps put in the request.

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

In the U.S., it’s illegal to take a pic of your election ballot. Snapchat wants to make “ballot selfies” a legal thing. In official court docs, the company told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit that states banning pics in the election box is a First Amendment violation. In other words, a “ballot selfie” is simply free expression.

Speaking of elections, U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is taking his campaign to California. First stop? The Bay Area where he’ll talk business, trade, and economic growth. Trump should expect a tough crowd.

Screen Shot 2016-04-25 at 11.45.11 AM

Area 120 is Google’s soon to be in-house, startup incubator, intended to stop entrepreneurial employees from peacing out on it.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration doesn’t want you to text and tweet, and it’s going after Twitter users that brag about doing just that.

Tweeting and Uber-ing is just fine, but you’ll probably soon have to tip your Uber driver.

Virtual Skinny FinTech Edition: The Block Is Hot …

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on in FinTech Edition, Newsletter

4.6.2016

Good to Know:  “ We are actively exploring these issues and their implications.” – U.S. Securities and Exchange Chairwoman Mary Jo White putting everyone on notice that she gets that blockchain tech is en fuego and her agency’s got its regulatory eye out. 

watching

THE SKINNY

When You’re Not About Empty Threats …

Payments company PayPal had plans to set up shop (costing US $3.6 million) in North Carolina (NC). But, not anymore. It’s put the kibosh on that.

When You Need To Get Caught Up …

NC is pretty committed to what could be called its new LGBT discrimination law. Back in March, NC passed a law preventing cities from protecting the LGBT community and banning transgender people from using restrooms or locker rooms for the gender not listed on their birth certificates.

When You Don’t Listen …

The company’s CEO Dan Schulman joined a letter with over 80 other tech execs. The letter listed all the reasons why the then-bill was not a good look. The execs even warned that quality professionals would peace out of the state.

When You’re Back On the Market …

NC ignored the letter, passed the bill anyway, and now PayPal (and other projects) are back on the market and are looking for alternative locations.  NC, say goodbye to what would have been 400 new jobs and US $3.6 million, at the very least…

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

Still DEL(ly) From The Block …

The U.S. state of Delaware is a fan of the blockchain.  State governor Jack Markell just let the cat out the bag on what the state is calling “the Delaware Blockchain Initiative.”  It’s the state’s way of saying to businesses incorporated there that they need to get up-close and personal with distributed ledgers and smart contract technologies. Kind of a big deal. BTW, if you want to hear more details on this from Markell, catch him giving the keynote at this year’s Consensus 2016 conference, which will be held from May 2- May 4, 2016 in the concrete jungle where dreams are made of…

QUICK POLL – RUN THOSE NUMBERS …

Check out all the fintech startups for all your banking needs …

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THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

When money goes social … PayPal-owned Venmo is now a thing with young people.  And, it’s not all about the money. They just want to know what their friends are getting into on the app.

Owe your co-workers some coins? With the help of startup Current, workplace messaging app Slack will soon offer money transfer services to help you settle your office debt.

The British government just gave the go ahead to Boston-based startup Circle. In other words, for the first time, the government has given an electronic money license to a virtual currency company.  London … Building its Innovation Hub one fintech startup at a time.

Speaking of building empires … Amazon is looking to make some fintech-related purchases.

Virtual Skinny FinTech Ed: Back At It Again With The …

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on in FinTech Edition, Newsletter

3.30.2016
deadline

Good to Know: Calling all FinTech social entrepreneurs! If you’re working on solving the financial inclusion problem, Village Capital’s: US FinTech 2016 business-training program is for you.  Learn more here and apply here. Hurry! You’ve got until April 3, 2016. 

THE SKINNY

When It’s Time To Regulate On ‘Em …

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), a top U.S. banking regulator, thinks it’s time for some rules around the growing financial technology (fintech) industry. Traditional banks and fintech startups are here for it.

When You’re For It, Just For Different Reasons …

Traditional banks have long been regulated and want competing startups to join the regulatory party. Startups don’t mind because they actually want to play by new rules so they create and innovate without having to watch their backs like no one’s biz. Could be a win-win?

When It’s Hard to Lead From Behind …

Other countries like the UK have already made moves to put in place a more fintech-friendly regulatory framework (e.g., the UK now allows what it calls the “sandbox model” aka a fancy way to say it lets startups experiment under the government’s watch).  U.S. regulators now want to get on their level…

When You’re Finna Do Something …

Other U.S. regulators have published papers and conferenced on fintech, but the OCC is taking it one step further. On Thursday (Mar. 31), it’ll publish its very own white paper on “responsible innovation” intended to get people running their mouths on the best way to put together new rules and processes. Top issue for discussion? A more systematic way for consumers to complain about new products and services.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

What’s HIGER Than Being #1?

Japan thinks Asia needs to be the top dog when it comes to blockchain technology.  So, the country is doing its part to get there.  Japan’s got some strict banking laws, but it’s willing to dial things back to encourage more investment in its fintech sector.  The country’s banking regulator, the Financial Services Authority, are putting new laws re virtual currency exchanges on the table. Authorities think that changing the laws will be a good look for its fintech industry.  More collabos between banks and fintech ventures are on deck with these changes (e.g., giving banks the go-ahead to buy stakes in non-finance related companies).

When You’ve Been Traded In For A Younger (FinTech) Model …

Bitcoin could be so yesterday.  The virtual currency and its network are about to be replaced by Ethereum aka Bitcoin 2.0.  Ethereum is taking advantage of the ongoing fight over software within the Bitcoin community.  Things are looking up for the new virtual currency on the block.  Its price is up 1000% just in the past three months, companies like IBM, Microsoft, and JP Morgan Chase are drinking the Ethereum Kool-Aid, and people think it’s better than Bitcoin.  Apparently, it’s not just about its virtual currency network. It can do things like execute smart contracts or programmable transactions. Oh, and not to mention, people have already created applications for it (e.g., managing and paying for electricity, betting on sports, and not so legit things like Ponzi schemes).  It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. There’s some concern about Ethereum’s potential security problems.

QUICK POLL – RUN THOSE NUMBERS …

FinTech brought in the doll-ah doll-ah bills in Feb. 2016. We’re talkin’ $1.5 billion in financing…

fintech chart

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

How do you reach millennials during tax season? Get Instagram star Pierce Thiot, responsible for the “Will It Beard” trend, to stick money in his beard. Just the latest attempt for small companies (Fishback Tax) and larger ones to reach millennials and their cash. #TaxSwag

Speaking of millennials, roboadvisor company Betterment just raked in US $100 Mill to bulk up on new products and services (retirement guides and account aggregation), which it thinks will attract young peeps.

Will Facebook soon let us make in-app purchases? Potentially. Code has been discovered within Facebook Messenger that’s got people talkin’.

Swiss banks want a mobile payments platform for the country. They’re chatting with retailers on how to make it happen.

Startup Purse wants to be the Bitcoin marketplace version of Etsy. Introducing Purse Markets. Sell anything on the platform in exchange for some virtual coins.

MIT’s Digital Currency Initiative is offering up $100k in scholarship to boost under-repped minorities and women at Consensus 2016, NY-based conference on virtual currency and blockchain technology.

Virtual Skinny: Get the News While Well-Rested…

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on in Internet & Tech, Newsletter 0 Comment

2.16.2016

Good to Know:  Make sure not to change the date on your iPhone to January 1, 1970. Unless of course, you want to destroy it. You’re welcome! 

THE SKINNY

Beep, Beep …

Unlike in Europe, carpooling hasn’t really been a thing in the U.S. But, could that be changing?

Not Feeling It … 

Americans aren’t into sharing a car ride with others. Only about 10% of U.S. commuters are doing it these days. One reason? Gas is cheaper in the U.S. than in other area. Oh, and no one in the U.S. has managed to come up with a bomb app to get people into carpooling.

Trying to Make ‘CarPooling’ Happen … 

New startup Scoop wants to be the go-to app for carpooling. It’s launched in San Francisco (for now) and is working with companies in the Bay Area whose employees aren’t close to public transit access. The idea is that these apps can take out the uncertainty with carpooling by taking care of the logistics planning and money transactions in advance. Unclear whether Scoop can help turn American attitudes around about carpooling especially since oil prices are at an all time low.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

When Your Current Mood is Damage Control …

Fantasy sports websites FanDuel and DraftKings are still reeling from the alleged insider trading scandal that happened last year.  After the media frenzy followed by the companies’ fallout with states like Nevada and New York, some companies that process payments for the sites decided it was time to go their separate ways. To stop the bleeding, both companies are leading the charge at the Fantasy Sports Association to influence state lawmakers across the country.  The group is unleashing an army of lobbyists to push states to pass laws that in part protect fantasy-sports operators. #FullCourtPress

When You’re Trying to Drum Up Support …

Nigeria’s economy is going through it right now. The country’s government put out some new monetary policies to try to save face, but these policies aren’t working as planned. Foreign reserves are depleting, and the government is look for ways to turn things around. So, the government is now turning to Twitter to encourage Nigerian citizens to do their part. The idea is that if Nigerians buy locally, then that’ll help restore some value in its currency (the Naira) and also help boost the economy.  Some people are all for it while others say that local options need to be just as quality as foreign imports. Also, there’s chatter about how Nigeria needs to look beyond the social media campaign and make the country more business-friendly. #BuyNaijaToGrowTheNaira

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

Apple Inc. is getting into original content. Who knew that it’s first foray into content was Drake’s ‘Hotline Bling’ music video? The company apparently had a role in its production and shelled out some cash to release the video via its streaming service. Up next? Its first original TV show with Dr. Dre. 

If at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again.  And, that’s exactly what Google did with Project Loon, its attempt to use balloons to bring wi-fi to remote areas. The company is planning a test run in Indonesia.

Making moves … Twitter’s former News Manager Mark S. Luckie is headed over to Reddit as its first-ever head of journalism and media.

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on in Career, Culture 0 Comment
Image of Ada Lovelace aka the world's first computer programmer
Image of Ada Lovelace aka the world’s first computer programmer

If you are asking women at Stanford University, they are likely to say a computer scientist. According to recently released statistics by the reputable institution, Stanford women are increasingly choosing to major in computer science, making it the most popular major among the school’s female student body. Currently, 218 women are enrolled in the university’s computer science program, making up 30% of students in the program.

Does this mean we are on our way to correcting the gender problem that’s plaguing the Internet and tech industries?  It depends on who you ask, but it is advisable to be cautiously optimistic.  Reports indicate that the number of women in computer science between 2007 and 2014 more than doubled, increasing from 10 percent to 21 percent, respectively.      

While these are all positive developments, it is important to put these number in perspective.  

Back in the eighties, women accounted for 30 to 40 percent of the computer science field, but those numbers have drastically dwindled over the years to a mere 16 percent according to the National Science Foundation.  Even when taking a broader look at entrepreneurship in the U.S., the numbers are just as underwhelming for women – only 27% of women count themselves as entrepreneurs.

Women’s collective waning interest in this important field is attributable to a broad range of factors including young girls simply trying to be avoid the “nerd” label in grade school to lacking relatable role models in the field. According to the Anita Borg Institute (ABI), women that transition into technical careers often leave those roles for other positions and regularly cite less than favorable working conditions such as no prospects for career advancement and poor compensation.     

In recent years, organizations and tech leaders have stepped up to call attention to this problem and factors that feed into it.  For instance, current U.S. Chief Technology Officer (U.S. CTO) and former Googler Megan Smith is an evangelist for spotlighting “unconscious bias.”  Unconscious bias simply means the bias you exhibit without even knowing it. When it comes to women in the tech industry, unconscious bias goes beyond pay and seeps into areas such as entrepreneurial pitches, institutions gravitating towards male applicants as opposed to female applicants for technical roles, and personality criticisms during performance reviews.  And this week, ABI is hosting its annual three-day Grace Hopper conference bringing together thousands of women (and men) in computing to share ideas, make connections, and pay it forward to junior women in the field. Heavy hitters are expected to address the crowd including U.S. CTO Megan Smith, Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki.  

While there is much work to be done in improving women’s presence in technical areas like computer science, keeping a constant drumbeat on these issues, bringing tough issues to the forefront, and highlighting women in this field may just inspire the next generation of women computer scientists and entrepreneurs.